Fall is a time for pumpkins.  They are such an amazing vegetable full of antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamins A!  One cup of pumpkin puree is only 30 calories, which makes it an excellent substitute for oils in baked goods.   The most recent research shows that foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of cancer. Roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are packed full of fiber and also a good source of protein and minerals.  It is no wonder that early pioneers valued pumpkins and used them in a variety of different recipes!

Here is a delicious recipe to try:

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1/3 cup milk

3/4 cup chocolate chunks

Instructions:

Recipe adapted from http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/10/caramel-chocolate-chunk-pumpkin-bread/#eGdDBtt34vRhUagv.99

For more information on the nutritional value of pumpkins, please see: 

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.cfm

According to his book cover biography, Atul Gawande is the author of three best-selling books, including Complications, Better, and The Checklist Manifesto.  I have read all three and was quite excited to read his most current publication, Being Mortal.  Mr. Gawande is a surgeon, professor, and writer.  His books cover complicated and controversial topics in a calm and uncomplicated manner.  He introduces us to real people, with real medical issues while adding a human view to the sometimes sterile medical world.

In Being Mortal, Mr. Gawande tackles end-of-life issues.  He provides a historical perspective of end-of-life care, as well as current issues facing our society.  For example, he asserts that our medical community is still confused on the best methods for providing care for patients with long-term illnesses.  He states:

Mr. Gawande considers how “we can build a health care system that will actually help people achieve what’s most important to them at the end of their lives”.  He states, “People die only once.  They have no experience to draw on.  We need doctors and nurses who are willing to have the hard discussions and say what they have seen, who will help people prepare for what is to come – and escape a warehouse oblivion that few really want”.

Overall, Mr. Gawande uses real-life stories to teach his readers the importance of compassion and facing reality.  He asserts that encouraging patients to think about and plan for the end of their life is just as important as preventative care.  In fact, some studies have shown that simply having a conversation about advanced directives (e.g., living wills) can reduce depression and confusion at the end-of-life.

This is not an uplifting book, but it is an important one.  I encourage everyone to discuss end-of-life choices with their loved ones.  It is not an easy conversation, but it can save heartache and provide peace.  Mr. Gawande supports this notion and provides an excellent guide to help begin those difficult conversations.

For more information: http://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/

Valerie J Connor, MA CCC-SLP

While many readers of this blog will be familiar with Medicare vs Medicaid, some might still have confusion on the similarities and differences of the two.  Both are government funded health assistance programs, but that is generally where the similarities end.

Medicare is a federally sponsored program that provides healthcare coverage for adults 65 years of age and older, as well as some adults younger than 65 years with certain disabilities or end-stage renal failure.  Medicare is divided into several parts:

            Part A – helps cover the cost of inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and home health care.  This coverage generally comes at no cost to the patient because the patient and/or the patient’s spouse has already contributed income tax dollars toward the Medicare program.

            Part B – covers other doctor expenses, including some preventative care, medical equipment, and rehabilitation services.  There is usually a monthly premium associated with Part B.

            Parts C and D – optional, additional coverage, including prescription drugs.

Medicaid provides assistance to low-income individuals and families to pay for health care.  The funding for Medicaid comes from your federal tax dollars, but the state governments choose who qualifies and how to distribute the coverage.  The Affordable Care Act has encouraged some states to expand their Medicaid programs to include more individuals who do not have insurance coverage through their employer and cannot afford individual coverage.

It is important to note that a physician is not required to accept Medicare or Medicaid payments.  If a physician does not accept payments from government-funded programs, then a patient must either pay out of pocket for the service or seek another healthcare provider.  Providers may choose not to accept these payments because they feel the reimbursement rate is too low.  Some medical providers may be prevented from accepting Medicare or Medicaid payment because they have been penalized for fraudulent activity or do not meet certain safety regulations monitored by such agencies as the Joint Commission.

For more information, please see this helpful video from Khan Academy:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/healthcare-and-medicine/health-care-system/v/medicare-overview

Valerie J Connor, MA CCC-SLP

I am a dietitian who loves potatoes. There I said it. In fact I lived off of potatoes (baked, red, and sweet) during my college years for dinners. They were cheap- a 5 pound bag of potatoes would cost me $5.00 and last a few weeks, if not longer. I would add vegetables to them and sprinkle some low-fat cheese and I would have a delicious meal. Of course now I do not eat potatoes every night for dinner, but I still make them at least once per week and my kids love them. However, I read an interesting report that the sales of potatoes have been steadily declining over the past decade (Gallo, 2014). There are two main factors why potato sales are down, the largest one being American’s are shunning potatoes due to the amount of carbohydrates (Gallo, 2014). I could believe this report because when I would tell my diabetic clients that it is fine to eat potatoes they would be shocked or refused to believe me as they assumed potatoes are the reason their blood sugars are high or the reason they continued to gain weight. Well sure, eating a pound of French fries is not healthy, but eating a nice 3-4 ounce baked potato with the skin on it is quite healthy. Let’s take my baked potato as an example. A 3-4 ounce potato with the skin on it is low in fat, low in calories, contains about 30 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of dietary fiber. Additionally, the potato is high in potassium, which could potentially lower blood pressure, and many B-vitamins, which helps build and repair cells and may help the health of the heart (The George Matelijan Foundation, 2014).  Still not convinced about eating a baked potato? Well, I bet this recipe will help change your mind ;)

Grilled Potato Pockets (Eating Well, 2012):

Makes 4 servings- 1.5 cups serving size

Ingredients

2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3 medium shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1.       Heat grill to medium-high.

2.       Meanwhile, place potatoes, shallots, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Place two 24-inch-long pieces of foil on the counter and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes and shallots in a single layer, slightly overlapping, on half of each piece of foil. Leave a 2-inch border on all sides. Fold foil over and pinch the edges together, making two packets.

3.       Place packets on the grill. Cover the grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. (When you open a packet to check doneness, be careful of steam.) Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving: 172 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 299 mg sodium; 1032 mg potassium.

 

Eating Well (2012). Grilled Potato Packets. Retrieved from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_potato_packets.html .

Gallo, A. (2014). Pity the Potato: The humble spud falls from grace in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-humble-potato-falls-from-grace-1407867055 .

The George Matelijan Foundation (2014). Potatoes. Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48 .

Halloween is finally here and my kids are ecstatic. They have been anticipating this day for months. Seriously as soon as one of the Halloween stores opened up we were there at once pressing and playing with all the ghoulish motorized objects and of course looking for that ideal costume. FYI we settled on a princess and batman for the costumes. I asked my oldest child why she loves Halloween so much and she said, “We get to dress up and we get scared by people yelling boo.” I had to chuckle as my sweet daughter comes from a dietitian’s household so there was no mention of getting lots of candy nor of eating it. However, we will still venture outside for a couple of blocks with their pumpkins held tightly and knock on the various doors saying, “Trick or Treat”.  In which they will receive their ultimate prize- candy. After we return from our trick or treating adventure, we will go through the candy and keep a small amount of the candy. So what do we do with the rest? We donate it to our local dentist. For every pound of candy our kids bring in they get a $1.00. I mean I would rather trade in my candy for a $1.00 any day. The dentist then sends the candy off to our troops. If, though, no one around your area accepts Halloween candy, there are a few other ideas to do with all the candy your kids bring back. A few ideas are to freeze it to make homemade ice cream or frozen yogurt, making homemade adult beverages, or my favorite turn it into a science project for your kids! One may ask, how can you turn candy you bring home into a science project? Well, you can make certain candies into decorations. For instance, with the use of crushed lifesavers, you can melt them and create stained glass shapes to hang on your windows.

This idea comes from Crandell (2014). Her recipe calls for:

Heavy metal cookie cutters (large copper cutters and they work great)
Vegetable spray
Life Saver or other hard candies
Aluminum foil
Cookie sheet
Straw
Narrow shiny ribbon

Preheat oven to 350°. Line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray the cookie cutters and aluminum foil with vegetable cooking spray. Fill the inside of the cookie cutters with a single layer of candy using as many as will fit. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until candies are melted.
Remove from oven and allow candy to cool about 2 minutes. Make a hole in each with a straw to thread ribbon through for hanging then continue cooling until the cutters can be handled. Very gently pull cutters away from the melted candy.

For more ideas about what to do with leftover candy, you can visit: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/things-to-do-with-leftover-halloween-candy?page=0 .  

Whatever you may be doing for Halloween, have a safe and fun time…..Boo!

Crandell, K. (2014). Top Ten Scientific Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy. Retrieved from http://www.science20.com/science_motherhood/top_10_scientific_uses_leftover_halloween_candy

I’m sick. One thing about the weather changing is the amount of colds that go around my household and the office. I wish I could have a bubble surrounding me during this time, but I keep thinking the more I am exposed to colds the better my immune system becomes. There’s always a bright side of getting colds! The other bright side of getting a cold is having my husband make me his delicious chicken soup. I’m used to the traditional chicken soup that my grandmother would make during the cold months- whole chicken, chicken broth, carrots, onions, celery, and a dash of salt. Then you would load a ton of egg noodles in your bowl of soup to which there was hardly any broth left as it would be soaked up by the noodles. This recipe was then passed down to me so I could make this soup for my children. Well a day has not yet come for me to use this recipe as typically we use my husband’s. No disrespect to my grandmother, but I think she would agree this is a delicious soup.

My husband is from Ecuador, thus a chicken soup to him means more than a few ingredients and hardly any spices or herbs. He does use a whole chicken as my grandmother did, but he removes most of the skin and marinates it for a little while to really release those flavors in the soup. I won’t share all of his spices, but let’s suffice it to say salt and a number of Ecuadorian spices (i.e. cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and some other ones). He simmers the chicken with chicken broth, corn, potatoes, yucca, carrots, and onions for about 1-2 hours. Even though my nose may be plugged, the aroma gets in there and my mouth begins to salivate. Also, instead of noodles he tends to use rice, so aside from all those wonderful starchy vegetables, we add more starches to the bowl of soup. He also tops it off with a few squirts of lime juice. Literally my head begins to feel better and my congestion is away for at least a few hours after I eat his soup. He swears it is the nutrients found in the spices and vitamin C from the lime juice that helps relieve the pressure from a cold. No matter what it is, the soup works wonders. So, if you are ever sick give me a shout and I can have my husband whip some soup up for you!